The Plateau
Continent
AFRICA
Africa
• 2nd largest continent
• Plateaus cover much of
Africa
– Shaped like an upside
down pie plate
• Elevations of Africa
– Red = 4500 Ft above and greater
– Blue = Sea Level
Sahara
• Sahara means desert in Arabic
• Largest desert in the world
• 2000 miles East/West, 1200 miles
North/South
• Only 20% of the Sahara consists of sand
• Fossil water is located 6,000 ft under the
Sahara’s surface
Nile River 1. Over 4,000 mi,
long
2. 95% of Egyptians
depend on the Nile
for water---
irrigation, drinking
3. One of the most
densely populated
places in the world
- 3,320 people per
sq. mile
4. Lots of water falls
and rapids along the
Blue Nile
Sahel • Large area of grassland,
short trees
• Transition zone between
Sahara and central Africa’s
rainforest
• At risk for desertification
– Semi-arid climate
– Climate changes
(drought) causing loss of
vegetation
– Overgrazing has caused
loss of area
Niger River
• 3rd largest river in Africa
• Niger Delta
– Oil rich area
– 606 oil fields
– The U.S. imports 40% of
the oil from this Delta
Lake Chad
• Sits on the edge of
the Sahara and Sahel
• Intermittent lake-
grows and shrinks
with the season
• Freshwater lake
– Used to be considered
a wetland
– Has decreased in size
due to drought in the
Sahel
Mountains of Sub-Saharan Africa
• The majority of Africa’s mountains are dormant
volcanoes.
– Mt Kenya
– Mt. Kilimanjaro
Mt. Kilimanjaro is Africa’s
highest peak.
Why does Kilimanjaro
have snow covered
peaks, if it is located
near the equator?
Rift Valley • Valley created due to divergent
tectonic plate movement
• Located on the eastern coast
of the African continent
• Clusters of lakes formed at the
bottom of these valleys
– Lakes are long and deep
– Lake Tanganyika: longest
fresh water lake in the
world
– 420 Miles long,
4700 ft. deep
The Congo Congo Basin
• Large low-lying area
sitting at the center of the
continent
– Drains other smaller rivers
into the Congo River
Congo River
• 2,500 miles long
• Contains waterfalls and
rapids which make
transportation difficult
– 2nd to the Amazon in terms
of water flow
– Used for hydroelectricity
Hydroelectricity
Victoria Falls
Devil’s Whirlpool
Southern Africa’s Deserts
Kalahari Desert
Namib Desert • Extremely arid-
unpredictable rainfall
• Shifting sand dunes
• Rugged mountains
• Humans have removed
much of the vegetation
Africa’s Abundant Resources
• Mines in Southern Africa
– Gold
– Diamonds
– Platinum
• Oil reserves in Libya, Nigeria,
and Algeria
• Forestry in Central Africa
• Agriculture
Agriculture • Farming is the most important economic activity
– Subsistence farming is crucial to survival
• Most people in Africa are very poor (live in rural areas, less
economic opportunities, government corruption, lack of education,
etc.)
• As Sub-Saharan Africa becomes more arid, subsistence
farmers will need to survive on less food per day.
2/3 of Africa’s
population is
rural
If most people are
subsistence farmers,
what does this tell
you about the level of
development in
African countries?
Climate Regions
•Arid zones?
•Sahel?
•Tropical zones?
•Highland zones?
Primary
influences on
climate-
•Latitude
•Wind systems
Tropics
• 90% of Africa is located between the Tropic of
Cancer and Tropic of Capricorn
• July temps average 110-115F everyday
Rainforests • Located on the equator
– Central Africa
– Tropical climate zone
• Diversity in trees, birds,
animals
• Deforestation becoming
a problem
– Less than 50% of a tree is
used in the timber
industry
Tropical Grasslands
• Serengeti Plains
– Extensive grasslands
(savanna) in Tanzania
– Very few trees
– Serengeti National
Park
• Herds of Wildebeests,
gazelle, zebras graze
here
After the Notes
• How does the geography of
Northern Africa differ from Sub-
Saharan Africa?
– Use at least 4 features from your notes
– Write in complete sentences